In what seems like a lifetime ago, when I used to work for a small wine company near 18th and Harrison streets in the Mission, come lunchtime I'd often find myself at neighborhood staple Atlas Cafe. On a recent return I happily found it to be exactly as I remembered it.

The cafe, which opened in 1996, maintains a mellow and slightly quirky mid-'90s coffeehouse vibe that's ever-so-slightly reminiscent of Central Perk, the fictional coffeehouse from the iconic sitcom of the era, "Friends."

You'll find plenty of real-life chums enjoying a lazy lunch on the pleasant patio out back; inside, there's the familiar cafe sight of single diners camped out with laptops open, nursing a chai or coffee.

My nostalgia continued when I discovered that my old lunch favorite was still on the menu - tuna salad with currants and Granny Smith apples ($9.95).

To drink, try the Dirty Bunny ($2.75), a refreshing take on the Arnold Palmer, with spicy ginger lemonade and iced tea.

While you won't find Phoebe strumming away at her guitar and singing about her smelly cat, a variety of local bluegrass, folk and jazz bands play on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Atlas even hosts an annual bluegrass and old-time jam session, which just celebrated its 17th anniversary last month. To find out more about band lineups, follow@AtlasCafe_SF on Twitter.